FIVE players from the Northern Football League have also been listed by Collingwood’s VFL team.
Cathal Corr (Macleod), Ben Fennell (Hurstbridge/Montmorency), Ned McKeown (Bundoora), Nick Riddle (Greensborough) and Josh Turner (Lower Plenty) have all been signed by the VFL Magpies.
Corr, Riddle and Turner have all been added to the club’s main list, while Fennell and McKeown were added to the club’s development list.
After co-captaining the club last season, Riddle has again been named in the leadership group.
Turner and McKeown join after impressing with the Northern Knights in the TAC Cup last year. Turner won the Knights’ best and fairest, while McKeown is the son of NFL operations manager and former Collingwood player Ron.
For Fennell it is deserved recognition after winning Hurstbridge’s best and fairest in 2013 and earning selection in the Division 2 Team of the Year for the past two years.
Interestingly, his family’s association with DVFL / NFL stretches back almost 100 years and also includes links to the VFL.
His grandfather on his mum’s side, Don McDowell, is a multiple premiership player, competition best and fairest winner and Team of the Century member at Greensborough.
Meanwhile, his great grandfather, William (Bill) McDowell, captained Greensborough and also enjoyed multiple premierships at the Boro and Diamond Creek going back as far as the early 1920s.
Ben now gets his chance at VFL level with Collingwood, following in his grandfathers footsteps. Don had a stint with Fitzroy, while Bill represented North Melbourne.
PLAYER PROFILES
